Received May 12, 2019; Revised August 6, 2019; Accepted August 9, 2019.

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Abstract

In salinity affected areas, variation in salinity level is the major cause of yield fluctuations in rice during the dry season (boro season). To sustain food security in Bangladesh, plant breeders need to develop new rice varieties which are higher yielding, salinity tolerant and stable across different environments. We evaluated the yield performance and stability of 51 rice elite genotypes including two salinity tolerant rice varieties (BRRI dhan67 and BINA dhan-10) and the dominant boro rice variety (BRRI dhan28) in three locations, including a salinity “hotspot”. Best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs) were used to identify superior genotypes from multi-environment trials. Selection from a large set of candidates is required for evaluation and recommending a new variety for release. Estimated breeding values (EBVs) were used to select parents. Six parents with high EBVs (BR8982-5, IR 87870-6-1-1-1-1-B; BR8943-B-1-2-7, BR8940-B-17-4-7, A69-1 and BR8943-B-5-5-14) would be useful as parents to develop new breeding populations. To evaluate yield performance and stability across environments, we used additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model using a randomized complete block design with two replications. Genotype × environmental analysis was performed using GGE biplot analysis. Based on yield performance and stability, BR8982-5, IR 87870-6-1-1-1-1-B, BR8943-B-1-2-7, BR8940-B-17-4-7, A69-1 and BR8943-B-5-5-14 were promising across the tested environments, as they showed yield advantages over check varieties. The results in this study will be useful for selecting the elite lines suitable for salinity affected areas and parents for rapid breeding of salinity tolerance.